ROE v. WADE: As the 40th anniversary approaches,we are the divided states of Amercia

7:01 PM,
Jan. 17, 2013

Henry Guevara of Norfolk, Va., listens during a pro-life rally at the Bell Tower on the Virginia Capitol grounds in Richmond, Va. Hundreds of pro-life activists gathered on Capitol Square to celebrate last year's passage of hotly contested legislation requiring women to have an ultrasound before an abortion.

Written by

Richard Wolf
USA TODAY

Forty years after the Supreme Court legalized abortion, the constitutional right many Americans take for granted is coming under increased scrutiny.

State legislatures are passing limits on abortion-related services. More abortion providers face stepped-up regulations, and more patients face strictly worded counseling sessions or ultrasound tests. At least four states have just one remaining clinic performing abortions.

As a result, dozens of challenges to those laws have been lodged in state and federal courts, and it may not be long before the issue is before the high court ...